Western Bay of Plenty parents say they feel the Government's decision to halt plans to build two new schools in the region "defies logic" as the population of the area grows.
In 2023, former Education Minister Jan Tinetti announced work on a new primary school and secondary school in the Bay of Plenty region of Ōmokoroa was expected to kick off early 2024, with doors to be open for children in 2025.
The Ministry of Education has since said building the schools is not an urgent priority and has paused construction on the projects indefinitely.
Local parent Matt Baker said parents are "shocked and surprised" by the decision, saying some children will have to continue enduring a sometimes four-hour round trip to get to the nearest school in Tauranga.
"So many people are frustrated and angry. No one really understands the decision, it just defies logic," he said.
Baker said some children endure an 18km commute to their nearest school on "one of the worst roads in the country for accidents and traffic congestion".
"We bought houses knowing there was going to be a school for our children to go to, and now it's not going to be there."
"Those commuting are often on a bus, [they are] standing, uncomfortable and those students will have a terrible time," he said.
In his letter to the Education Minister, Baker said the original request was for a secondary school. He said the Ministry of Education were the ones who broadened this to cover a new primary school as well.
Baker said the local school his children attend have added six new classrooms in the last four years onto the existing field where the children "used to play".
"The Ministry of Education's current approach seems to be 'let's just keep adding classrooms and expanding the current school' where there just isn't that space," he said.
Baker said a number of parents had written submissions to the Government seeking further action and requesting reasons behind scrapping the projects.
Education Minister responds
In a statement, Education Minister Erica Stanford said she had been advised by the Ministry of Education that "there will be a new school in Ōmokoroa in the future, however it will not be in the time frame that was initially announced".
"On a national scale the Ōtūmoetai catchment, which includes Ōmokoroa, is not experiencing high growth. Regionally, it is growing at a slower rate relative to other catchments in the Bay of Plenty and Waikato."
She said property investment "must be prioritised to where the need is greatest".
"Over the next 10 years the Ministry anticipates an additional 350 primary and 220 secondary-aged students to enter the Ōtūmoetai catchment from growth in Ōmokoroa.
"There is further capacity for secondary schooling in the existing network 20 minutes north of Ōmokoroa."
She said the project will be "reassessed year-on-year in consideration of national priorities".
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